Youn Sun Nah – Lento

Here comes a moment of kiss up. One of the things I love about my wife is that she always finds new, interesting music for me to listen and write. Her latest discovery is Korean singer Youn Sun Nah. The first time listening to Nah’s latest release, Lento, and I am completely hypnotized. Nah’s style is expressive, eclectic and quite eccentric.

The album kicks off with a soft, intimate title track, in which her soulful voice is accompanied with just a fingerpicking guitar. Then “Lament” gives a glance of her emotional progression. She starts out low and builds up the tension like a fighter who’s not ready to give up. The album takes a surprise detour in “Momento Magico,” in which she uses her scatting skills to duo the guitar. With the Latin groove backing them up, the experience is just electrifying. Then the album returns and dips further into the soul-stirring territory in a reinterpretation of Stan Jones’ “Ghost Riders In The Sky.” Near the end, she distorts her voice (without the help of Auto-Tune) as if she has been possessed.

Youn Sun Nah is quite something else. In Lento, she demonstrates not only her singing ability, but also her sensational artistry. Highly recommended.